Case FF Marchtrenk

Dismissal application is (as good as) on its way

On December 12, 2024, the municipal council decided to apply for the removal of the Marchtrenk fire brigade command

(Bild: Wenzel Markus/Markus Wenzel)

It's taking a while, but now there seems to be movement in the case surrounding the Marchtrenk fire department: the day after the general meeting of the Florianijünger, more than 30 pages of written pleadings were finalized at the municipal office, which are intended to remove an entire elected command for the first time in Austria. But patience is still required.

There was no scandal when the provincial fire service command invited around 80 members of the active and reserve fire department to the Volkshaus Marchtrenk on Tuesday evening. The topic of the two-and-a-half-hour event was the current state of affairs surrounding the suspected command. It is about missing accounts, a command vehicle that is said to have been used privately, etc.

The primary goal is to ensure the fire department in Marchtrenk. We are talking about months until decisions are made.

Markus Voglhuber, Sprecher des oö. Landesfeuerwehrkommandos

"No accusations dealt with"
"It was not a question of dealing with the allegations. We gave an overview of the chronological sequence and what happens next. We have been waiting for the dismissal application since mid-December," says Markus Voglhuber from the provincial fire service command. "We can't take any further steps before then."

The talks are taking place on an equal footing and I will make a statement in due course. The fire department is operating normally.

Thomas Fraungruber, Kommandant der Feuerwehr Marchtrenk

"The brief is being finalized. It must have a solid foundation," said Mayor Paul Mahr to the "Krone" on Wednesday. The city's lawyer has to revise it again and the more than 30-page application should be submitted by next week at the latest. Commander Thomas Fraungruber, who also spoke to the 50 or so comrades present at the meeting, wants to make a public statement once the allegations are on the table.

Months rather than weeks
Once the application has been submitted, the provincial fire service command must conduct an investigation for each of the four command members individually and cannot make a blanket decision. This process is expected to take months rather than weeks.